


Psyche

by marvelousmsmol



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Adrinette | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, F/M, Identity Reveal, excessive use of non canon lore, like so much non canon lore, miraculous holders ocs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:42:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24801772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marvelousmsmol/pseuds/marvelousmsmol
Summary: Adrien wakes up on a bench with no memory of the previous day's events but quickly finds that he is practically invisible to everyone else. Having lost both Plagg and his Miraculous, Adrien begins to look for explanations and discovers that Adrien Agreste has been declared dead and Chat Noir has mysteriously disappeared. With no other options, he decides to follow home the one person that can still see him: Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 27
Kudos: 123





	1. Missing

Upon opening his eyes, Adrien was immediately met with a splitting headache that was partly the fault of the sun shining mercilessly down on him and partly the fault of whatever hangover-like feeling was currently overtaking his senses. The hard, cold wooden bench beneath him certainly wasn’t helping his discomfort. Bombarded with the sound of horns honking and the early morning hustle of the streets of Pairs, Adrien sat up and tried to shake off the grogginess. His surroundings certainly weren’t helping.

The problem, as it quickly occurred to him, was not that Adrien had woken up on a park bench in the middle of an unfamiliar neighborhood, but that he had no clue how he had gotten there in the first place. Adrien certainly did not drink anything the previous night that would warrant a blackout like this, but, then again, he couldn’t remember the previous night either. The only thing he did know was that he was, in fact, Adrien Agreste and he was not at home, probably late for something important. 

Adrien stretched as he stood up from the bench, popping out the kinks in his back and neck. As he drew his hand back down towards his face, he noticed that his ring, his Miraculous, was missing. In its place was a faint tan line where it should have been. He watched the line for a moment, which seemed to move and change its almost iridescent color as he shifted his wrist. It was only then that Adrien realized that Plagg was missing as well. He felt he probably should have noticed earlier, having not been bombarded with demands of cheese as soon as he opened his eyes. 

Almost jumping with the realization, Adrien stood stiff as a board, his eyes glancing frantically all around him, hoping the catch a glimpse of the small, black Kwami. 

No such luck. 

“PLAGG,” Adrien shouted as he began racing around the park. He realized that he shouldn’t run around a park in the middle of the morning shouting something that vaguely sounded like “plague” while looking like a drunk, dead corpse, but he wasn’t sure what choice he had otherwise. 

Plagg had gone missing before, and had always shown back up sooner or later. Adrien honestly wouldn’t have been freaking out so much if it hadn’t been for the complete memory loss of the previous day. Eventually, he had his way out of the park and onto the streets of Paris. He had since stopped shouting but still ran at full speed. 

He skidded to a halt, breathing heavily. Adrien found himself staring down his own face. The stupid fragrance ad photo was posted up on a street corner. Standing directly next to it, Adrien flinched waiting for the first scream from someone who had recognized him. No one stopped, no one even glanced at him. Adrien felt completely invisible. 

Turning on his heel, Adrien looked to the nearest person passing him.

“Hello, can you tell me…” He drifted off as the person kept on walking, “... where I am?”

With a sigh, Adrien turned back towards the poster. Looking at it, for some reason, made 

his heart clench. 

_ “We’ve got this, my lady.” _

He had said those words yesterday. They were just now coming back to him. The context, time and place, hadn’t quite reappeared in his brain, but at least he remembered something. 

The stinging pain in his shoulder came next, hitting almost like a ton of bricks had suddenly been dropped from above. Adrien dropped to his knees as the pain worsened, and it came to him that a ton of bricks  _ had  _ been dropped on him, or at least something like that. Pulling back the fabric of his dark hoodie, Adrien could see that there was no bruising or cuts on his shoulder. 

Someone passed by, knocking Adrien completely onto his stomach. He shouted at them, craning his neck to see the person stop, look back, and stare at him for a moment before their eyes glazed over and he became invisible to them again. 

Pushing himself back onto his feet, Adrien dusted off his hands on the fabric of his pants. “What the hell happened to me,” He asked, knowing well that no one was going to answer him.

With not many ideas left, Adrien figured that he should at least figure out where in Paris he was. He had always been granted extra strength when became Chat Noir due to the powers of the Miraculous, but climbing up the fire escape and onto the roof of the tallest building he had seen, had been much easier than he thought it should have been. The 360 degree turn yield no results for an identifiable landmark, and Adrien continued to search the skyline for at least a direction he thought he should head in. His eyes widened as he noticed a spire of Notre Dame towards the east. He figured that from there it wouldn’t be too hard to find his home. 

Adrien didn’t know what he had expected when he made it back to the Agreste mansion, but he certainly did expect to find half of it in ruins. There were people crowded around, both news crews and ordinary spectators, as well as those behind the gates, who were clearing away the rubble. Adrien tried to pick out his father among those inside, but he was no where to be found. The only thing that he could gather, was that whatever had happened had been bad. 

“Apparently, Chat Noir has been missing since last night’s akuma attack, and no one has heard from Ladybug either since the incident.” At the mention of both his and his partner’s names, Adrien perked up, stepping closer to the crowd of reporters. “We are unsure at this time whether or not the Akuma that attacked the Agreste mansion, Lynx, as been stopped. In addition, the Agreste family has yet to make a statement.”

Adrien ran, hopping the fence with surprising ease. Hopefully, he would find something that would give him a clue about what was going on with him. Maybe this akuma, Lynx, had somehow turned him invisible. Maybe, in the best-case scenario, he would even find his Miraculous. 

Adrien wandered through the rubble, but his search was turning up nothing. He noticed that his bedroom had been destroyed as well. Halfway under a piece of a wall, a broken frame holding a photograph of him, Nino, Alya, and Marinette was practically crushed. Adrien ripped the photo out of the frame and tucked it inside his hoodie. 

Looking off in the direction of his school, Adrien wondered if his friends were there now and if they had heard the news about the akuma attack yet. He took one last look at the rubble, and decided he would come back later. It might be easier to find something once they had cleared more of it away anyway. For now, he would head off in the direction of Francios Dupont. At this point, Adrien didn’t put too much stock in the hope that his friends would be able to see him, but seeing them might give him comfort, just to know that the other people in the photograph were safe. 

By the time Adrien had reached the school, the class had already started. He made it up the steps and to his second-floor classroom on his own. An eerie silence that had settled around the school, a great contrast to the usually cheery air that Adrien was used to whenever he showed up here. School had been his favorite place with his favorite people, but now it seemed that that might be gone. 

Looking through the open door, Adrien could see that Ms. Bustier was standing at the front of the classroom. A solemn look covered her usually bright face. The students, his friends, looked confused more than anything else. They were silently waiting for Ms. Bustier to speak, probably wondering what news she had that could be so upsetting. 

“This is a very difficult thing to talk about,” She said, her voice almost cracking in the middle of the sentence. Adrien stepped inside the classroom, leaning up against a wall. No one looked in his direction, as he expected. “I’m sure you’re all aware of last night's events. It is always difficult when we hear that the atrocious actions of Hawkmoth affect one of you. I- I want nothing more than for all of you to be safe and happy, but sometimes… we don’t ever see these kinds of things coming.”

Adrien anticipated her next words. He felt as though there was cotton in his mouth, and there was a ringing in his ears. 

“It’s- It is very hard for me to talk about this, but last night,” Ms. Bustier paused, and Adrien found himself wanting to scream at her to get on with it. He could feel the pain that rising among his classmates, but he wanted- needed- someone to confirm to him what he had been keeping at the back of his mind the first time someone knocked him to the ground. “Last night, Adrien died during the akuma attack at his home.”   


Adrien hadn’t been prepared for the scream that escaped Chloe’s mouth. Her head dropped down to her hands and Sabrina leaned over, comforting her. Shock was written on everyone else’s faces. Nino had doubled over as well, and Alya had gotten up out of her seat to crouch down next to him. 

Out of everyone’s reactions, the one he had expected the least was Marinette. Her face was a blank slate, save for the tears she was desperately trying to conceal that were welling up in the corners of her eyes. Adrien watched her, waiting for her to burst into tears, and felt confused when she didn’t. It only took him a few seconds to realize why she didn’t. Their eyes locked for a moment. Adrien knew that she was staring directly at him. He counted it in his head. Ten seconds. At least nine seconds longer than the only other person who had noticed him. Marinette looked away after that. 

“Ms. Bustier,” Marinette said in a hoarse voice. The rest of the class looked at her expectantly, as though waiting for her to offer some words of encouragement or comfort. Instead, the wall of tears broke. “Can- can I ple- please be excused?”

Ms. Bustier sighed and nodded. “Classes are canceled for today. We’ll be offering counseling for students who need someone to reach out to, but you’re all allowed to go home for the day,” She said. Marinette stood up, slinging her bag over her shoulder, but her exit was interrupted as Marinette continued. “However, I highly encourage each of you to spend time with each other. Your classmates, your friends, need your support, and I’m sure Adrien wouldn’t have wanted you all to spend this time alone.”

No sooner than Ms. Bustier had stopped talking did Marinette walk out of the classroom. Alya and Nino were hot on her heels. As Marinette passed him, he noticed the tears that were now streaming down her cheeks. For a moment, he thought she had looked at him, but he shook his head, sure he was mistaken. Adrien followed Nino and Alya out of the door, making through just as the door shut behind him.

“Marinette,” Alya called after her, jogging to try and catch up with her. Alya grabbed Marinette by the shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. “Don’t go. We should stick together. You don’t seriously want to be alone right now, do you?”

“I-” Marinette said unable to speak. “I don’t know. I- I can’t do this right now.”

“Alya’s right Nette,” Nino said. “You don’t want to be alone.”

“Just stay with them,” Adrien murmured under his breath. “Don’t wander off by yourself.”

“I’m sorry,” Marinette said. “There’s just something that I need to do.” 

Marinette tore off again, breaking out of Alya’s grasp. Nino and Alya seemed almost too shocked to follow her, but Adrien broke off into a sprint after her. Marinette didn’t stop as she went down the front steps and made her way across the street. Adrien cursed as she almost stepped out in front of a car, trying to reach out and grab her, but she took off again before he could make contact. Adrien followed her behind the bakery, into an alleyway. 

Marinette bent over her hands resting on her knees in order to keep herself upright. She was breathing heavily, almost on the verge of hyperventilating. Adrien stayed back towards the edge of the alley, standing partly in the shadows. Taking in a big gulp of air, Marinette stood up straight. She wiped her hand on her forehead, trying to calm herself and get the sweat off of her brow. With another deep breath, Adrien still as she turned in his direction.

“What do you want,” Marinette said, standing defensively. “Is this some kind of trick?!”

Adrien’s eyes widened. He turned his head, looking behind him to check if there was anyone else standing there, but they were the only two people in the alley. 

“You-,” Adrien started, stopping to see if Marinette actually reacted to the sound of his voice. “You can see me?”

“Who the hell are you,” Marinette said. Adrien took a tentative step forward only for Marinette to step back. “Stop.”

“Marinette,” Adrien said, stepping closer to her. “It’s me. I’m- I’m me. Please believe me. I need your help. I have no idea what’s going on. I’ve been invisible to everyone else. Everyone’s saying that there was an akuma attack and I- I died. I can’t remember any of it. Please.”

Adrien stopped only a few feet from Marinette. His words had been sporadic and probably crazy sounding. The confusion on Marinette’s face took a moment to clear, but, unlike the person whose eyes at glazed over at the sight of him, Marinette’s eyes flashed in recognition. 

“A-Adrien?”


	2. Together

Adrien slowly nodded. He didn’t want to move suddenly. Marinette seemed calm now, blankly staring at him without even blinking. Adrien waited patiently for her to move again, and watched out of the corner of his eye as she raised her hand slowly. Marinette held her palm flat, hovering barely inches away from his face. She sucked in a deep breath and seemed to completely freeze again as her hand made contact with his skin. 

Marinette screamed, jumping back away from as if she had been burned. She turned away from him, propping herself up again with her hands on her knees. Adrien grew worried as she began breathing sporadically again, cautiously walking towards her. 

“Marinette,” Adrien said. “Are- are you okay? This is probably really… really weird.”

Marinette took in a deep breath and held up her hand towards him. “Just give me a second.”

Adrien stuffed his hands in his pockets, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. He stilled as Marinette stood up straight again and brushed her bangs out of her face. With a sigh, she turned to face him again. “So,” Marinette said. “You’re… not dead?”

“I’m- I’m not sure,” Adrien answered honestly. “You’re the first person who’s actually noticed me today. I mean, I stood in the middle of a crowd of reporters and no one said “Hey, it’s that Agreste kid, maybe we should tell everyone that he’s not dead.’”   


Marinette stared at him blankly.   


“Okay, yeah,” Adrien said. “This isn’t funny.”

“It isn’t.” 

Marinette stepped up to the edge of the alleyway, peering towards the front of the bakery where her parents were working. “Okay, let’s test this for sure. Before we jump to any conclusions,” Marinette said. “What better way to test if you’re invisible or not than to walk you past my parents who will want to give you food as soon as they see you.”

Adrien nodded stiffly and followed Marinette out of the alleyway. As the reached the front of the store, Marinette went to open the door, but Adrien stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder. He felt her freeze up at his touch, but attributed it to the lingering shock to him actually turning out to be a corporeal being. Adrien grabbed the handle and opened the door. It seemed strange that he could still interact with the world around him, and he made another mental note in the “not actually dead” column list he was keeping in his head. 

Adrien stepped back, letting Marinette enter first, and then walked directly at her side as they made their way to the counter. As soon as Marinette’s parents saw her, they made their way over. Adrien practically had to jump out of the way to avoid being knocked over by Tom Dupain, who hugged his daughter as soon as she was in his reach. 

“Marinette, we’re so sorry,” Sabine said. “We just heard the news. Did they send you home from school today?”

“Yeah,” Marinette said, glancing towards Adrien, but she was the only one looking his way. “I’m going to head up to my room. I just need a little time to myself.”

“We understand,” Sabine said, nodding solemnly. “It’s so hard to lose someone you love. I know Adrien meant a lot to you. We’ll be here if you need anything. Just let us know, we’ll close up shop in a heartbeat.” 

“Thanks, mom,” Marinette said, trying to give a small smile. She headed around her parents, flipping up the part of the counter that separated the front from the back, waiting for Adrien to pass through before she put it back down again. 

The pair passed through the kitchen. On his way, Adrien noticed a freshly baked tray of croissants sitting on the table and stopped in his tracks, grabbing one and stuffing it in his mouth. Marinette quirked an eyebrow at him as they headed up the stairs. Adrien just shrugged. “I don’t feel hungry, strangely, but I can still eat. I’ve got that going for me.”

Marinette turned away from him as they continued to walk, but she swore she heard him say something about “these two idiots both cracking jokes about food in dire situations.” Adrien didn’t know who the other “idiot” was, but it was clear that one of them was him. 

The sense of ease that washed over Adrien when he entered Marinette’s room greatly helped to calm his nerves that hadn’t stopped bothering him since he opened his eyes this morning. Marinette had always seemed like a comforting presence to him, even if she had been a little scatterbrained and flighty. Being in the mostly pink room that smelled of baked goods was like having that comforting feeling she exuded wrapped around him like a blanket. 

Marinette tossed her school bag on the couch and delicately set down her purse that she always carried with her. She sunk down on to the chaise, burying her head in her hands.

“So, they didn’t see you,” Marinette said. Adrien only nodded as a reply and took a seat in her desk chair, folding himself over in similar fashion as Marinette. “Does that mean that you’re- you’re really…”

“I’m not giving up yet,” Adrien said. “I can’t remember anything about yesterday, so it’s possible- Maybe the akuma’s powers had something to do with this.”

“Well, it looked like he only had the powers to teleport objects from place to place,” Marinette said. She froze, her eyes widening as big as saucers. “I mean- uh, I wasn’t there. That’s just what I heard, so… It’s possible it was the akuma. The only way to know for sure is to wait for Ladybug to catch Lynx and use her Miraculous Ladybug to bring everything back to normal.”

Adrien stared at Marinette intently, examining the almost guilty look on her face. She had her head down, eyes glued to the floor. After a moment, Adrien rolled the desk chair across the room, stopping just in front of Marinette. 

“I’m sorry. I probably did something stupid for this to happen,” Adrien said.

“Why are you apologizing,” Marinette said. “You’re the one in the impossible situation. I’m- I’m kind of glad I can see you.”

“I’m glad you can, too,” Adrien said with a smile. He felt a little lighter when she returned it. “I don’t what I would do without you right now.”

“I promise to help you,” Marinette said. “In any way I can. We’ll figure this out.”

“After this one, I’m really going to owe you,” Adrien said. “Me and Ladybug both.”

Marinette looked up at him confusion. “What do you mean, you and Ladybug?”

“I feel like I should probably tell you the whole truth if we’re going to try and find a solution,” Adrien said with a sigh.

He explained it all to her. It had been easiest to start with the full events of the morning. He showed her the iridescent mark on his finger where is Miraculous should have been and explained that the real reason why he had been in danger at the Agreste mansion yesterday was because he had actually been fighting the akuma alongside Ladybug as Chat Noir. 

“So, after you helped us out with Evillustrator, we’re going to owe you big time,” Adrien said. 

Marinette blinked. “Yeah.”

“I’m sorry,” Adrien said, seeing that Marinette was clearly starting the freak out again. “I wouldn’t have sprung the whole secret identity thing on you if I didn’t think it was important. And, I trust you, Marinette.”

“You do,” Marinette asked. 

“Yeah, I mean, after Ladybug and Nino you’re probably the person I trust the most.”

Marinette couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped her, and covered her mouth with hands as she blushed in embarrassment. “Then, I’ll try not to let you down,” Marinette said. Her face fell. “And Ladybug.”

Adrien smiled and reached out to touch her arm, giving her a comforting squeeze. It was partly for him as well. Marinette made him feel at ease, almost in the way that Ladybug did. It was odd, how similar they seemed to one another. 

Marinette jumped as her phone buzzed in her purse. Turning it on, she frowned at the message that appeared on the screen. 

“It’s Natalie,” She said. “Mr. Agreste hasn’t been in the office today and they need to prepare for the press conference tomorrow. She’s asked me to come in and help.”  
“I forgot about your internship,” Adrien said. He hadn’t forgotten. He had spent many uncomfortable dinners with his father talking up his friend in hopes that she would get hired. 

“It looks like I can’t avoid going into the office,” Marinette said with a sigh. “You can stay here and wait if you like.”

“No way,” Adrien said, shaking his head. “There’s still an akuma out on the loose. I’ll go with you.”

“What if you run into Natalie or your father,” Marinette asked. Adrien raised an eyebrow. “Right.”

“I think that if you’re the only one whose been able to see me at this point,” Adrien said, “I don’t think anyone else will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on tumblr: @marvelousmsmol


	3. Not Found

Adrien stayed close to Marinette as they headed to the Gabriel offices. He kept a close eye out for their surroundings. Adrien took special care to make sure his steps were directly behind and in line with Marinette’s. He really didn’t want to find out what would happen if he ran into another person who couldn’t see him. 

Before he knew it, they arrived at the Gabriel offices, and Adrien followed Marinette inside through the door she held open for him. Things seemed… normal. Adrien wasn’t sure how he felt about that. The fact that it was unclear whether or not he was really dead, and yet the world inside this building had not been moved off its axis one inch. The people they passed were talking in hushed whispers. Marinette was just keeping her head down as she walked in front of him towards the elevators. 

Adrien pressed himself in the wall of the elevator as the boarded. Marinette was still in front of him, a few inches away, but there were more people boarding, and they were about to be squeezed into the small space like sardines. Adrien grabbed onto Marinette’s wrist, drawing her back into him, her back pressed up against his chest. Marinette seemed to stiffen as his cold hand made contact with her skin. 

Adrien wondered since when he had become so bold. Was it the fact that he wasn’t hiding be Chat Noir anymore? The notorious flirting that he saved only for the character with the mask was seeping out into him. Nevertheless, he kept Marinette there close to him, and when they filed out of the elevator, his hand was still clamped tight around her wrist. 

In the distance, Adrien could see Nathalie sitting there at her desk like she always had. Like there was nothing different. Nathalie looked up as she noticed Marinette approaching, and, as expected, made no mention of Adrien’s presence. 

“Where were you,” Nathalie said. “You were supposed to be here five minutes ago.”  
“I’m sorry,” Marinette said, glancing at Adrien. “Traffic was slow and I had gone home from school.”

Nathalie sighed “Right, Adrien was in your class. I’m sorry.” 

The apparent concern didn’t last long as Nathalie quickly switched back to her busy work mode. She shoved a stack of paper into her hands. “We’re expecting that press and… Well, basically all of Paris will be at the candlelight vigil tonight at the Agreste home. Mr. Agreste is currently busy taking care of some other business, which I why you and I need to finish setting things up for tonight’s press conference and get a jump start on the memorial service.” 

“Memorial service,” Marinette asked, peeking over the stack of papers in her hands.

“We already have it scheduled for Sunday,” Nathalie said. “Everything needs to be arranged by Saturday. We have to get moving. Go. Use one of the empty desks.”

“O-okay,” Marinette said, stiffly turning around and walking off. 

Adrien stood still for a few moments, not following after Marinette as he probably should have. He waited, watching Nathalie, the woman who had practically raised him since the death of his mother, who was just as stoic as ever. 

And, then, Nathalie let out a sigh, her head drooping and falling against the hard desk. He swore he heard what was a stifled sob before she took in a deep, shaking breath, and sat up again, face devoid of emotion. Adrien wished he hadn’t waited to see it.

He found Marinette again in the back of the room, sitting at a desk with the once neatly stacked papers now spread out all around her. Adrien leaned up against the wall, looking out everything but her. Marinette was sitting there, planning his funeral while he stood there and watched. It felt wrong… it felt like a violation. 

The problem was, Adrien now felt like a watchdog. He couldn’t help but feel like Marinette was in danger with him. Lynx could show up at any moment. There had to be a reason why Marinette could see him, and whatever that reason was, he felt like he had to keep her safe. Marinette, he desperately hoped, was the key to figuring all of this out. 

She was biting her lip as she flipped through the papers, and eventually settled on flipping back and forth between two of them. Adrien leaned forward, hoping she would divulge whatever train of thought was running through her brain. Eventually, Marinette’s hands dropped, resting against the wooden desk.

“What is it,” Adrien asked. 

Marinette didn’t respond. She just scooped up the papers into her arms and rushed back to Nathalie’s desk. She looked flushed and was breathing quite heavily. 

“Nathalie,” Marinette said. “Is it okay if I take this home with me and bring them back tomorrow morning? I’ll make all the arrangements.”

“Alright,” Nathalie said after a moment. 

Marinette didn’t wait for anything else. She just kept walking, and once they got on the elevator, it was too crowded for him to ask her any questions. It wasn’t until they got on the street outside that Adrien was able to stop her for more than a second. 

“What’s going on,” He asked. “Why are you suddenly panicking?”

“There’s something that seems weird about all of this. They’re planning on having a closed casket funeral,” Marinette said, wincing at the words. 

“So,” Adrien asked, “What does that mean exactly?”

“Well, there could be the case that… the body might be disfigured,” Marinette said, shaking her head frantically as she spoke. “But, I don’t think that’s it, because… no one’s reported that your body was ever even found.” 


End file.
